Darren Shan's gruesome stories sell by the millions, testifying to the huge appetite that children have for all things scary. His big breakthrough came with his first children's book, Cirque du Freak, which became the first in the phenomenally successful 12-part series, The Saga of Darren Shan. Now Shan, who lives in rural Ireland, is enjoying massive success with his latest, The Demonata.Book four, Bec, features trainee priestess Bec, whose magic is weak and untrained. But when the demons come, she must rise to the challenge and join a small band of warriors on a journey through hostile lands to confront the Demonata at their source.These books are blood-curdling fun, which are bound to appeal to young people with a taste for horror stories.